Hanging Out With The Duchess

A PLACE WHERE I EXPRESS MY THOUGHTS AND OPINIONS ON MUSIC, LIFE, EVENTS, TRAVEL, LOTR, HP, TV, NEWS, PEACE MOVEMENT, POLITICS AND EVEN MOVIES

Friday, February 29, 2008

Why Dennis Kucinich Still MattersDeborah Emin, Huffington Posthttp://www.alternet.org/election08/78156/Dennis Kucinich does not treat politics like a popularity contest. He is a voice for the people and ideas that we need to repair this country.

[Duchess Note: Bravo Ms Emin in speaking the truth in your article; not only about DJK, but about BO and HC. The MSM is treating 2008 presidential race like “American Idol”, which I find to be such a boring show. Total yawn fest. The MSM is more interested in fights, money and scandal than real issues that hit many Americans. You want real news, and then forget most of the newspapers and TV news out there today, cause its not real journalism, go for some of the news outlets on the Internet. Save your money … do not purchase newspapers.]

Key Green Party Issues in the 2008 Presidential Race

-- End racial disparity-- Implementation of universal healthcare-- Reform of the electoral system-- Immediate withdrawal of troops from Iraq-- Repeal of President Bush’s tax cuts-- Aid those suffering from the housing mortgage crisis-- Address global warming

Wednesday, February 27, 2008

Hopi Elder’s Prophecy

Words of wisdom from the pastWords of inspiration from Native AmericansWords, I am sure, of indigenous people around the planet whose connectedness cannot be denied.

"We Are the Ones We Have Been Waiting For"Oraibi, Arizona, June 8, 2000You have been telling people that this is the Eleventh Hour, now you must go back and tell the people that this is the Hour. And there are things to be considered. . . .Where are you living?What are you doing?What are your relationships?Are you in right relation?Where is your water?Know your garden.It is time to speak your truth.Create your community.Be good to each other.And do not look outside yourself for your leader.Then he clasped his hands together, smiled, and said, "This could be a good time!"There is a river flowing now very fast. It is so great and swift that there are those who will be afraid. They will try to hold on to the shore. They will feel they are being torn apart and will suffer greatly. Know the river has its destination. The elders say we must let go of the shore, push off into the middle of the river, keep our eyes open, and our heads above the water.And I say, see who is in there with you, and celebrate. At this time in history, we are to take nothing personally, least of all ourselves. For the moment that we do, our spiritual growth and journey come to a halt.The time of the lone wolf is over. Gather yourselves!Banish the word 'struggle' from your attitude and your vocabulary. All that we do now must be done in a sacred manner and in celebration. We are the ones we've been waiting for. The Obama Craze: Count Me OutMatt Gonzalezhttp://www.beyondchron.org/articles/The_Obama_Craze_Count_Me_Out_5413.html

Obama opposed single-payer bill HR676, sponsored by Congressmen Dennis Kucinich and John Conyers in 2006, although at least 75 members of Congress supported it. Single-payer works by trying to diminish the administrative costs that comprise somewhere around one-third of every health care dollar spent, by eliminating the duplicative nature of these services. The expected $300 billion in annual savings such a system would produce would go directly to cover the uninsured and expand coverage to those who already have insurance, according to Dr. Stephanie Woolhandler, an Associate Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School and co-founder of Physicians for a National Health Program.Obama’s own plan has been widely criticized for leaving health care industry administrative costs in place and for allowing millions of people to remain uninsured. “Sicko” filmmaker Michael Moore ridiculed it saying, “Obama wants the insurance companies to help us develop a new health care plan-the same companies who have created the mess in the first place.”

Once I started looking at the votes Obama actually cast, I began to hear his rhetoric differently. The principal conclusion I draw about “change” and Barack Obama is that Obama needs to change his voting habits and stop pandering to win votes. If he does this he might someday make a decent candidate who could earn my support. For now Obama has fallen into a dangerous pattern of capitulation that he cannot reconcile with his growing popularity as an agent of change. I remain impressed by the enthusiasm generated by Obama’s style and skill as an orator. But I remain more loyal to my values, and I’m glad to say that I want no part in the Obama craze sweeping our country. [To read more, click on the link above]

[Duchess Note: Many are enamored with Obama and squeal, actually they gush, that he so inspires them. Personally, I don’t find him inspiring, and his silken words only make me wary. When one asks many of these “followers” about his stance on important issues, they don’t have much of a clue; all they talk of is “change”. Well, what kind of change? Seems abit hallow to me and no real substance behind this so called “change”. It’s not the kind of change that we’ll want, need or desire. I’m sure his corporate backers want to keep the status quo intact and will make him tow the line. When you look at and compare the voting records of Kucinich, Clinton, McCain and Obama, well, you see a big difference. You also see proof that Kucinich is truly there for the American people. Leagues ahead of the others, so let’s keep a true progressive in DC for “We the People”, support Kucinich’s congressional campaign today.]

Tuesday, February 26, 2008

Obama’s Line on Lobbyists is MisleadingTrudy Lieberman, Columbia Journalism Reviewhttp://www.alternet.org/election08/77492/Obama claims that he doesn’t take money from lobbyists. The truth is, he is as beholden to special interest groups as all of the other candidates.

[Duchess Note: Obama is also very much beholden to many corporations, insurance, etc. If he’s elected president, then those who support and voted for him (I am NOT one of them) better hold his feet to the fire. Make him, other candidates and our elected officials listen to OUR rights and demands, not those of the friggin corporations. The only presidential candidate, out of the original eight Democrats, who did NOT take money from lobbyists and/or corporations, is Dennis Kucinich. He is beholden to the American people and no one else. He is the only true peace candidate and always there for us.]Cleveland Corporate Media vs. Dennis KucinichDavid Swanson, OpEdNews.comhttp://www.opednews.com/articles/opedne_david_sw_080226_cleveland_corporate_.htm

It’s an Election, Not a CoronationRosemarie Jackowski, Dissident Voicehttp://www.dissidentvoice.org/2008/02/its-an-election-not-a-coronation/The Democrats had their chance, and once again they blew it. They started out with Kucinich who called for the immediate withdrawal from Iraq — not only withdrawal across the Iraq border — but Kucinich called for bringing all troops home now. He also supported a Single Payer Health care system. That would save the lives of 18,000 U.S. citizens every year. The Democrats also had Edwards who had promised to fight the wave of corporate crime — a major problem. Would there be war if the corporations did not profit from the killing? Instead of voting for Kucinich or Edwards, the Party faithful cast their votes for candidates with a questionable history of support for peace, health care, and economic justice. This has created a vacuum of ideas. Nader is now filling that vacuum. The Democrats could have had it all — a peace candidate and an easy win against a weakened Republican candidate. Instead, they will again blame Nader, while refusing to accept the inevitable results of the votes of the Party faithful. They have ignored one of the most fundamental lessons of politics — you get what you vote for.

[Duchess Note: Many thanks to Linda in TX for above articles. As to the above article, I agree with much of her views, though I am NO longer a supporter of Ralph Nader. Was back in 2000, not in 2004 and definitely not now. McKinney will have my vote, as will many of the Green Party. Rosemarie is right; those that vote for BO, HC or JM, well, “you get what you vote for”. Bitching at Nader isn’t the answer to the situation. We must be the answer; we must be the real change. We must breathe down the necks of our representatives in DC. Let them know how we feel about the issues. Inform them to do a better job for us, not the corporations. The Corporate mainstream media wants to make the choices and so they push, shove, manipulate and call one un-American if you don’t do as they say. “We the People” need to think for ourselves and not rely on MSM. Time to make a stand and throw away the shackles of MSM brainwashing, because the future of our children depends on it. Strength through Peace.]

Monday, February 25, 2008

MESSAGE FROM THE COMMITTEE TO RE-ELECT CONGRESSMAN KUCINICH TO THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES - Corporate 'swift-boating' Targets Kucinich

Cleveland's corporate establishment is pouring massive amounts of money into an unprincipled attack campaign against Congressman Dennis Kucinich, distorting and misrepresenting his record in a way that comes right out of the Republican dirty tricks playbook. At the same time, everyday citizens are coming to Dennis' defense -- real people who live here, work here, raise their families here, and rely on him to represent their interests. http://kucinich.us/contribute.html

With only a week until the March 4th primary election, we need your help to counter the attacks and put those hardworking citizens on television and radio so they can tell the truth. Here's a special message from Dennis explaining what's going on. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=us1GQI70h7U

Friday, February 22, 2008

PERSONAL NEWS #137On Wednesday, December 12th, I took a vacation day from work, so I could spend the afternoon with my friend Sheila from NJ. We met up at Grand Central Station around 11:30am and had a quick lunch at the food court. Last time we hung out together was back in August and the visit to Princeton University. [We’re planning another visit to Princeton this May.] Every December we like to get together for lunch, catch up on news and then check out the holiday art & craft shows. After lunch we strolled through the booths in Vanderbilt Hall and made some holiday gift purchases. Many wonderful goodies to choose from, though some of the prices were abit steep. From there we strolled along 42nd Street and stopped at a Starbucks for some hot, delicious liquid refreshment. Their hot Caramel Apple Cider is so good. Then we headed across the street into Bryant Park to see those holiday booths and watch the skaters on the ice rink. So happy I finished all my holiday shopping with those holiday craft/gift shows. We strolled west and stopped briefly at my office, so that I could pick up a parcel. It’s the “Harry Potter & the Order of the Phoenix” DVD and will watch it later on that evening at home. From my office we headed towards Port Authority, so that Sheila could catch her 5pm bus home to NJ. Overall a most enjoyable day and capped off with viewing a good movie.

Saturday evening, December 15th, was the annual NYDoP holiday party. This year it was held at a board members [Marianne] home on upper Westside of Manhattan. Way up on the northern Westside in the neighborhood of Inwood. Party started at 5:30pm and I got stuck with a car service driver who was terrible, plus clueless. It took two hours to get up to Inwood via car service. Two friggin hours! I was really pissed at the driver and didn’t give him a tip. [Reason I didn’t take subways was due to my carrying dessert goodies, secret Santa gift, DoP materials and a banner. Felt and looked like a bag lady.] Party was in full swing when I arrived just before 7pm. Table in living room and in the kitchen were laden down with lots of yummy goodies. Everyone brought something to the gathering, as well as gifts for the “secret Santa”.

[Several NYDoP Members Celebrating the Holiday Season]

Great seeing everyone and I jumped right into party mode, which was helped with some hot spiced rum cider from Marianne. Kevin and Irene brought there two adorable daughters [ie: Evie & Julia]. Had such a fun time from 7pm to 10pm, plus many laughs were shared during the “secret Santa” segment. The gift I brought was a biography on Gandhi and I received a lovely spiritually inspired 2008 calendar. I left with a few NYDoP members [ie: Howard & Eileen] at 10pm for the long subway ride home. From Inwood to where I live in northern Brooklyn, it takes three subways and almost 1 ½ hours. I was so tired by the time I got home and immediately into bed.

The next morning, December 16th, it was back to the upper Westside in Manhattan via car service. This time I had a good driver. Several members [ie: Chris, Adriana & Carol] of NYDoP attended an event at Symphony Space that had Marianne Williamson as guest speaker. We also tabled at the event to get the word out on the Dept of Peace Campaign. Apparently every Sunday, around 11am, there is a non-denomination service by the group “Unity Church of New York”. Doesn’t feel churchy at all, lots of music and was actually quite enjoyable. There affirmation is………….

God is the Mind with which I think;
God is the Love in which we forgive;
God is the Strength in which I trust;
There is nothing to fear.

Marianne, as always, gave a terrific talk [“Meaning of this Moment”] that lasted about 25 minutes. Activity at our DoP table was pretty good and got to speak with folk on a number of issues. Carol lives not far from Symphony Space and I brought some of the DoP materials and banner to her apartment. We hung out for abit and talked about politics. Left around 2pm as I was starting to feel very tired and abit drained. Headed home to take it easy for the rest of the day and work on recovering my energies.

Wednesday evening, December 19th, was the annual E&Y FSO Holiday party held at Tavern on the Green in Manhattan. Several of us from the Insurance Tax dept headed to the event via the subway. Weather was abit chilly and wet. I stayed for 1 ½ hours to partake of the assorted delicious goodies, chat with co-workers and view the holiday décor of Tavern on the Green.

Friday, December 21st, did volunteer work for City Harvest at the Union Square farmers market. This is the last one of the season and we’ll resume at Union Square sometime in March 2008. The following is a message from Daniel with City Harvest regarding Union Square volunteer team … “Happy holidays! I hope you are all enjoying the season and that you see the attached holiday card as a small show of appreciation from all of us in volunteer services. The greenmarkets rescues have come to a close for the season and that means we can reveal the total amount rescued for the year and the winner of our holiday trivia contest! Last year, City Harvest rescued 186,714 pounds of food from the Union Square Greenmarket. This year, we rescued almost twice that amount for a total of…drum roll… 338,000 pounds of food! This is a remarkable number and is a testament to the hard work that our volunteers put in on a daily basis. Great job everyone! The volunteer with the closest guess is special events volunteer, Adrienne Prassas, with a guess of 325,000! Second place goes to administrative and special events volunteer, Elaine Bivetto. Thanks for all your hard work in 2007 and we look forward to working with you in 2008!”

Saturday through Tuesday, December 22nd/25th, headed upstate NY to spend Xmas holiday with my family. I had a nice, relaxing, leisurely weekend with my parents, brother and sister-in-law. Got to catch up on Cable TV viewing, plus Mom and I watched a “Harry Potter” movie on DVD. Mom and I went out a few times for lunch and shopping. I visited my favorite bead & craft shop in Cambridge; chat with the owners [Sarah & Heather] and purchase supplies for my numerous projects.

[Duchess Gazing at My Brothers Tree on Xmas Eve]

My parents and I spent an enjoyable Xmas Eve and Xmas morning with my brother and sister-in-law near Albany. The bus ride back to NYC was pretty decent, as there was hardly any traffic on the thruways. I had more gifts, from friends, waiting for me under my Xmas tree at home, as well as more holiday cards in the mailbox. Overall it was a good weekend.

Wednesday, February 20, 2008

Give Dennis Kucinich His DueSteve Cobble, The Nationhttp://www.thenation.com/doc/20080303/cobbleBut why stop there? Why not ask who opened the door for Edwards? Because on almost every issue that John Edwards battled hard on in 2007, helping move Obama and Clinton closer to the light, it's indisputable that Dennis Kucinich pushed on those same issues back in 2003, again in 2007 and every year in between. In other words, Kucinich was against the war, for fair trade, against NAFTA and the WTO, against the Patriot Act, for single-payer health care, for an infrastructure plan to rebuild America and put forward a plan to bring the troops home--all long before not just John Edwards, but long before almost anybody.

Consider the Patriot Act vote, cast by the Congress in October of 2001, only a few weeks after 9/11, in a scary time of threats and intimidation from the Bush/Cheney Administration. This vote had our lawmakers so scared that only a few brave House members stood up to oppose it, and in the Senate, only Russ Feingold had the guts to say no. But Kucinich voted no. Why? Because he read the bill. He risked his political career to oppose an intrusive, liberty-violating, fundamentally un-American bill. Very few others did, especially House members from ethnic urban districts. So give John Edwards his due. But give Kucinich his due, too.

[Duchess Note - Many thanks to a fellow NYC Kucinich Team member in sharing this link to a wonderful, fantastic article/commentary on Congressman Kucinich. Out of all eight (8) Democratic Presidential candidates; DJK is the only true progressive and liberal. He has always honored the Constitution and Bill of Rights. His courage to stand firm on important issues, legislation, voting record, plus his great compassion for humanity is why I've been supporting him since 2003. Bravo Mr Cobble on speaking the truth and sharing it with The Nation readers.]Kucinich Promises hearing on 9/11 Health; Responders “Money Bomb” Raises ThousandsAaron Dykes, JonesReport.comhttp://www.jonesreport.com/article/02_08/170208_responders.html

Thank You, Dennis KucinichKevin Gosztola, OpEdNews.comhttp://www.opednews.com/maxwrite/diarypage.php?did=6171I feel like I owe something to this man for getting me to where I am today. And I am inspired to write about what it is that makes me so happy that I supported Dennis for President. I didn't go for the platitudes of hope Obama is offering or Hillary Clinton's experience. I supported a man whose heart and courage makes him a true American hero.[Duchess Note: Many thanks to Linda in TX for the above two articles. Like Mr Gosztola, I too support a man whose heart and courage make him a true American hero. Not into the fake promises of the Corporate Imperialist candidates. I'm into a candidate and human being who stands by his convictions and delivers. Bravo Dennis & Kevin!]

Monday, February 18, 2008

"FAREWELL MR PRESIDENT" WEBSITE IS UP & RUNNING – How Appropriate That I’m Posting This on President’s DayWhether you love him, dislike him or have strongly undecided feelings, here is your chance to bid adieu to Dubya. Look for our Mobile “Farewell Mr. President!” Film Team touring the 50 states seeking out fine Americans like you to tape their very own farewell message. We will be editing together these video messages to create a “Farewell Mr. President” movie that we will personally deliver to our departing leader when he leaves office in January 2009! View the website at … http://www.farewellmrpresident.com

Sunday, February 17, 2008

URGENT MESSAGE from “The People's Email Network”Because of the abysmal approval ratings of Congress itself, there is a real groundswell of "throw the bums out" voting, as evidenced by the 24 point victory in the primary challenge this week by progressive Donna Edwards. But we need to very careful not to let the exceptionally good be swept out with the bad.

For weeks big money has been running terribly false attack ads against Dennis trying to smear him out of Congress. And Dennis needs your help to fight back by running the ad on the page above in his own district. So if you can make any kind of donation, please use the easy form on the same page above to do so. And to thank you for your valiant support, Dennis wants you to have as his gift to you a copy of his special Kucinich commemorative edition pocket constitution, with your donation of $100 or more. And if you are one of the few who has not be blindsided by Cheney's gut the economy agenda, Dennis Kucinich will personally autograph your copy with your donation of $1,000 or more.

Please note that even if you had already donated the full legal limit to his brave presidential run, which had a real impact in shifting the debate, you can donate another $2,300 for his congressional seat defense. But even if you can't make a donation right now, there is still something incredibly important you can do to help, and that is to send links to the video to anyone you can. So you can either ask your friends to visit the page above, or you can send them to the YouTube page here. YouTube Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pl8pJdNb7Hc

So please do what you can to spread the word that this is a must win, must keeper situation. It is only because of the courage of Dennis Kucinich in standing strong to protect and defend the constitution that we are where we are now, with more and more members of Congress clamoring for meaningful impeachment hearings, and the House still holding the line against that craven telecom immunity thing. Let us not be complacent. Let us not take anything for granted just because Dennis is so amazing on every issue. We have to make sure that we empower Dennis to remind his constituents what a magnificent job he has been doing for them and for us all. And nothing would push impeachment forward more than the most clear-cut victory for Dennis in his primary.

Please take action NOW, so we can win all victories that are supposed to be ours, and forward this alert as widely as possible. If you would like to get alerts like these, you can do so at http://www.usalone.com/in.htm

[Duchess Note: Many thanks to Judith for the above item on Obama. As Stuart said, “Yes we can WHAT?” Judith mentioned, “They give more info than the official Obama one, that's for sure! She is referring to the brilliant Billionaires for Bush. I am NOT endorsing nor voting for Obama, or Clinton, but my endorsement/vote is going towards McKinney with the Green Party. I also hope folk in Cleveland wake up and vote Kucinich for Congress in the March 4th primary. He is one of the few progressive voices left; because Obama, Clinton and Edwards don’t even come close. Vote for the candidate that represents your interests and values, not what the MSM or anyone else forces you to do. Strength through Peace....]The Perfect IllusionOpEdNews.comhttp://www.opednews.com/articles/opedne_jibbguy_080213_the_perfect_illusion.htm

[Duchess Note: The above articles were shared by a fellow Kucitizen from TX. Kucinich was also excluded from many debates due to his stance on certain issues. Issues that many of us Americans agree upon … such as out of Iraq now, pro-peace, jobs and universal healthcare. Many of us voice our concerns every day to the deaf ears of our overpaid, corrupt Senators and Congressional representatives. The MSM and TV stations are owned by many big corporations whose views are not in line with majority of Americans, so they banned Kucinich and Paul from debates.]LATEST NEWS ON THE POLICE REUNION TOUR

The Police Bring Reunion Tour Back To South FloridaCBS4 Miamihttp://cbs4.com/entertainment/andy.summers.reunion.2.654118.htmlThe Police have a new message for fans and this one doesn't come in a bottle. Sting, Andy Summers and Stewart Copeland are coming back to South Florida on the heels of their sold out tour in 2007.

Police, Elvis Costello at Usana this SummerSalt Lake Tribunehttp://www.sltrib.com/ci_8261258?source=rssEvery big thing they do is magic, and the Police are bringing that magic to Utah this summer. The reggae-infused pop trio - Sting, Andy Summers and Stewart Copeland - will perform at Usana Amphitheatre in West Valley City on July 19.

Monday, February 11, 2008

INVEST IN OUR COUNTRY & SUPPORT A TRUE PROGRESSIVEPlease take a moment and view the video below from a November Democrat debate. Share with others so they too can contribute to Kucinich's congressional campaign. He needs our support. His opponents are spending 5 times the $$$ in advertising. The oponents are of course taking corporate $$$$ and adhering to corporate interests, not the interests of constituents. To donate to the congressional campaign go to: http://www.kucinich.us/

Friday, February 08, 2008

Back in the early to mid-1970s I heard a song on the radio that deeply touched me and brought tears to my eyes. It still does to this day … “Vincent” by Don McLean, written and recorded in 1971.

Starry, starry night.Paint your palette blue and grey;Look out on a summer's day,With eyes that know the darkness in my soul.Shadows on the hills,Sketch the trees and the daffodils,Catch the breeze and the winter chills,In colors on the snowy linen land.

Now I understand what you tried to say to me,How you suffered for your sanity,How you tried to set them free.They would not listen, they did not know how.Perhaps they'll listen now.

Now I understand what you tried to say to me,How you suffered for your sanity,How you tried to set them free.They would not listen, they did not know how.Perhaps they'll listen now.

For they could not love you,But still your love was true.And when no hope was left in sightOn that starry, starry night,You took your life, as lovers often do.But I could have told you, Vincent,This world was never meant for oneAs beautiful as you.

Starry, starry night.Portraits hung in empty halls,Frameless head on nameless walls,With eyes that watch the world and can't forget.Like the strangers that you've met,The ragged men in the ragged clothes,The silver thorn of bloody rose,Lie crushed and broken on the virgin snow.

Now I think I know what you tried to say to me,How you suffered for your sanity,How you tried to set them free.They would not listen, they're not listening still.Perhaps they never will.....

“Vincent” is one of those songs that fascinated and haunted my early teens. Back before the Internet it wasn’t easy finding out information. Well, it wasn’t for this teen that lived in Westchester County. All I knew about this beautiful, sad song was a painter who’d suffered in many ways. Finally, during my Art History class in high school, I learned Vincent’s true identity, as well as viewed photos of his work. I fell in love with his paintings and all its amazing brush work, detail, wonderful use of color and outlook on his surrounding environment. It exploded my senses and sent them on fire with an intense passion. Not many painters had that effect on me.

After moving to NYC in the early 1980s, I obtained precious tickets to see two separate showings of Van Gogh’s work at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on Fifth Avenue. These showings were held in the mid to late-1980s and were the hot tickets of the day. Let me say that seeing a photo of a Van Gogh painting doesn’t compare to the actual painting. Not even close! My senses were in for a wonderfully delightful treat in seeing his works of art, 100 years after Vincent painted them, up close and personal. OMG! Breathtaking!

Your probably wondering why I only have “Wheat Field with Crows” on display here. In the late-1980s, during a second showing of Van Gogh’s paintings, this particular painting was in the last gallery with 8 other pieces. Up close it’s a wonderful work of art and the brush detail is visually tantalizing, yet simple. I went with a friend to see this exhibit at the museum and had finished before she did, so I stood by the door and waited. I looked at all the paintings in that one gallery and my vision was continually arrested by this one … “Wheat Field with Crows”. From where I stood it was across the gallery from me and as I gazed at it, well, it felt like I was being sucked into the scene. Sound in the room seemed to dim and people were like faint shadows. It was just me and that amazing wheat field. I was filled with sadness and gloom, but also glimmers of hope and sunlight. Then reality crashed in with a dull thud when my friend interrupted my “meditation”. To this day, 20 years later, I still remember that “feeling” with such clarity. How it captured part of me that day.

If you ever get the chance to see a Van Gogh exhibit in person, I highly recommend going with an open mind, heart and soul. His work will arrest your senses like it did mine.

Wednesday, February 06, 2008

FROZE IN PLACELast year over 200 "Improv Everywhere Agents" froze in place at the exact second in New York's Grand Central Terminal. The mission is finally online - check out the photos, video, and report. If you were there, add your own report in the comments. Click on the link for more ... http://www.improveverywhere.com/2008/01/31/frozen-grand-central/

Tuesday, February 05, 2008

[DUCHESS NOTE: Please take 5 minutes and check out this very inspirational film due out in the spring. It fills one with hope, peace and makes me feel optimistic. It was shared with me by a fellow New York City Dept of Peace board member. Click on this link ... http://www.theshiftmovie.com/ And please share with others and spread the joy, which is peace.]

Monday, February 04, 2008

IMPORTANT MESSAGE FROM “PEOPLE FOR THE AMERICAN WAY FOUNDATION & THE DEMOCRACY CAMPAIGN"Tomorrow, dubbed "Super Tuesday" by political junkies and the media, is the biggest day of the 2008 presidential primary races for both parties. Voters in your state and 23 others are expected to turn out in record numbers. We're doing our part to make sure voting rights are protected and the election is administered fairly. Please join us.

If you experience, see or hear about voting problems in your state, please call the toll-free, nonpartisan Election Protection Hotline at 1-866-OUR-VOTE.

That's the number. Easy to say, easy to remember. Please tell your friends and acquaintances about it. If you can, print out our flyer and post or distribute it. Fair elections depend on the vigilance of citizens like you. http://media.pfaw.org/PDF/voteflyer.pdf

Every American citizen has the right to register, vote, and have that vote count. People For the American Way Foundation's nonpartisan Election Protection program is designed to help safeguard that right. Help us ensure that everyone's right to vote is protected -- be our eyes and ears on the ground. If you feel your rights have been violated, or see something that you feel might be a violation of someone else's rights, please call Election Protection toll-free: 1-866-OUR-VOTE (1-866-687-8683).

The Election Protection Hotline will be staffed by attorneys at several regional call centers around the country. We are working arduously to prevent problems in 2008 before they happen, meeting with county election officials around the country to assess how things are working in their jurisdictions, and to identify and try to correct the weak spots. Finding out about problems on Tuesday will be critical in determining what work needs to done to protect voters' rights in November. Thank you for your help in spreading the word about 1-866-OUR-VOTE.

[Duchess Note: A courageous vote is the only vote worth casting. Don't let the MSM trick you into voting for a candidate who doesn't truly represent your values/interests. A well informed, wise choice, is the best choice.]Message From “Kucinich for Congress” – Stop Corporate Interests From Buying a Seat in CongressOne month from now is the Ohio primary and I'm running for re-election to the House of Representatives. I'm also being outspent 5 to 1. Corporate interests are converging on Cleveland in an effort to try to knock me out of Congress. I need your help to make sure that there continues to remain in the United States Congress a voice of truth, a voice of courage, a voice of integrity.

I want to continue to serve in Congress to stand up for my constituents and their economic rights: the right to a job, to health care for all, to retirement security, for the education of their children. I need your help in order to do that. These interests groups have enabled television ads to be run against me for 2 weeks running and I haven't had the resources to be able to go back on television and to respond to them. But with your contribution I'll be able to do that.So please go to our website right now at http://ww.kucinich.us and give us the resources that we need to beat back this corporate challenge.

I'm confident that with your help I'll be able to continue to be the voice in the United States Congress that you count on to be heard in times of crisis. We need to regain our country. We need to sweep aside the fear that has engulfed this country. We need to set back the greed that is undermining this country. I'm prepared to do that and I'm prepared to do that with your help.

Sunday, February 03, 2008

PERSONAL NEWS #136On Saturday, December 1st, I cancelled going up to Yonkers Ferret Shelter, as I had to stay home and await delivery of petitions via Fed Ex. These petitions were coming from volunteers in upstate New York. While waiting for the delivery I baked Xmas cookies and brownies for the holidays, as well as do chores around the apartment. Around 6:30pm Linda G showed up with a ton of signed petitions garnered over past month. Linda worked with another volunteer, Max, on getting these petition signatures every weekend. They did an awesome job and by Dec 4th had accumulated over 800 signatures. Wow!

The next day, Sunday, December 2nd, David Bright [Kucinich campaign ballot access director] joined me at my office to work on processing all the petitions. Thomas and Phoebe also joined us to work on this time consuming project. Many volunteers stopped by to hand in their signed petition forms and inquire on the progress. By 5:30pm the total of signatures was only 4300 and we needed another 1000 to put us safely in the clear. The deadline for submitting these signed petitions was looming quickly. Too quickly and I was getting quite anxious. Immediate action was necessary, so Thomas and I sent out urgent emails to our connections, plus volunteers to get out and obtain more signatures. The Kucinich campaign staff also sent out an urgent email to their NY State volunteer base to help out. This was serious crunch time! After making copies of the petitions, which I took, and David took the originals, we left my office after 8pm. By this time, after two busy days, I was feeling tired and drained. Upon arriving home I collapsed into bed. David headed off to Thomas’ place in Brooklyn were he’d be camping out, plus working until Wednesday evening on organizing, petitioning and other campaign duties. Tuesday, December 4th, had an appointment with my foot doctor and also joined in the National DoP conference call that evening.

On Wednesday, December 5th, I met up with Thomas, Phoebe and Jim [many thanks!] outside my office and then headed down to Penn Station to meet David Bright. We handed over all the remaining signed petition forms to David, who was taking Amtrak up to Albany that evening and working with volunteers in that area. [These volunteers were spearheaded by Mary, Wendy, Steve, Frank & Jim. Many thanks to ALL for your fine, excellent and outstanding work. Around this time I became acquainted with Caitlin O’Heaney and we started work on organizing a NYC DJK Fundraiser. You’re a gem Caitlin!] The petition deadline was the next day and it looked like we had more than enough to clear the 5000 mark. Monday through Wednesday I saw a lot of volunteer traffic through the lobby of my job. Sadly I didn’t get much work done, but in regards to the campaign, we were on fire. Hell yeah!

Thursday, December 6th, evening was the monthly NYC Kucinich Team meeting and we had a good turn out this month of 30+. Several were newbie’s to the group and campaign. I’d heard from David earlier that afternoon and he gave me an update on petition progress. We were definitely in the clear and that evening I announced to meeting attendees that the final count of signatures was 6413. Yahoo! Whew! Amen! Everyone applauded and cheered, as this was very good news and meant that in 3 ½ days we brought in over 2000 signatures. Wow! When push comes to shove NYC and NY State volunteers pull through brilliantly. We had a great meeting and many important issues/topics were discussed, as well as plans for the NYC campaign over next month.